I thoroughly love Penny Preaches: God Gives Good Gifts to Everyone! by Amy Dixon & Rob Dixon. Penny loves going to Church and learning about God. Penny starts giving little sermons to the kids in the neighborhood, but they aren't received well. To encourage Penny, Penny's parents find a Church with a woman Pastor. Going to the church with a female pastor, Penny learns powerful lessons about God and about herself. I love EVERYTHING that Penny Preaches: God Gives Good Gifts to Everyone is about! I love that Penny Preaches: God Gives Good Gifts to Everyone is a book that teaches EVERYONE that WOMEN CAN PREACH!!! I love that Penny Preaches: God Gives Good Gifts to Everyone is geared towards kids. I highly recommend Penny Preaches: God Gives Good Gifts to Everyone! Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. My review is also on Goodreads.

If you’re looking for a book that shares with youngsters how God gives good gifts to everyone, then Penny Preaches by Amy and Rob Dixon should be your next purchase.

Penny loves everything about Sunday, and her favorite part of Sunday is the pastor’s sermon. But when she tries her hand at preaching to her friends, it doesn’t go so well. That’s when she wonders if she is wrong to teach others about God.

Penny Preaches is such a sweet story. Touching on the topics of God’s equal love for boys and girls and that we can exercise our gifts from God with confidence knowing each of our unique gifts is important, the Dixon’s story, blended with the colorful illustrations by Jennifer Davison, will have readers eagerly turning page after page. Penny Preaches would be the perfect choice if you know a young person who is struggling with sharing their unique gifts with the world.

I look forward to more Amy and Rob Dixon collaborations.

This is a very cute children's book that reinforces the idea that everyone has gifts that have been given to them, regardless of age, skin color, or gender. The pictures are very well done and clearly support the writing.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amy & Rob Dixon, and IVP Kids @ivpress for this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very well written and thought out children's book. It shows how much children are watching us and questioning how things work in the world. Penny wants to follow her dream about teaching God's word to others and face some struggles with doing so. It also teaches about diversity. It's the type of struggles many Christians face. How her parents respond is an example of love and thoughtfulness. It shows how if you have an idea and some support you can make your dreams happen.

#netgalley #netgalleyreview #pennypreaches #amydixon #robdixon #ivpkids #intervarsitypress #childrensbooks #illustratedbooks #augustreads

I'm always looking for picture books that show how church fits into family life. I also love that this book is based on a real experience the authors had with one of their kiddos (see the back matter for details).

Penny is a heartfelt young girl who loves all her family's Sunday rituals, especially the sermon "stories that made her think about big things." She begins collecting God's words in a notebook, telling them to her stuffed animals, and preaching to her friends on a porch step. The problem is simple - Penny is a girl, and many Christian denominations still forbid female preaching or church leadership.

This sweet book achieves several difficult balances. It centers on preaching without relying on any one scripture or message (which would be difficult to pull off in picture book length). The book's big themes come out organically through sermons in this book, and they're big yet related enough to carry a lot of weight: "God's love has no limits," "God gives good gifts to everyone," "Love the Lord with your whole life," and "God's words are meant to be shared." Other books might have given Penny the pulpit for a main sermon at her church, but the payoff in this book is more grounded and realistic. There are enough cute details like pancakes and a tiny microphone to appeal to kids less interested in sermonizing. The authors also used the focus on God's words to add a layer of age-appropriate language learning (alliteration).

Upon first read, my reaction was that the book made perhaps too big of a deal of other children being surprised that their peer who was preaching to them about God was a girl, rather than surprise in general at being preached at. It felt like an oversimplification or plot device. Then I saw that almost half the early Goodreads reviews mentioned disagreeing theologically with female clergy. So I revise that opinion to say that for the families, especially little girls, who most need this book may experience that.

This book will appeal to Christian and Christianish parents whose doctrines don't forbid female preaching. It is a particularly satisfying read for female parents like me who were raised in, and left, denominations where limitations were imposed upon us as women. You go, Penny! Rah rah, parents and Pastor Sarah, who encourage her exploration of gifts!

Thank you to NetGalley and InterVarsity Press for the digital advanced reader copy.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinion are completely my own.

A beautifully written story with a beautiful message. I read it to my friend's daughter on Whatsapp because I know she'll love it when she wakes up in the morning.

I received an electronic ARC from InterVarsity Press through NetGalley.
Encouraging story to persevere. Penny feels inspired when she listens to their pastor preach each Sunday. She feels God has given her words to share as well. But when she shares with friends, they question whether she can do it as she is a girl. She puts her notebook away. Fortunately, her parents observe all of this and bring her to a different church where their pastor is female. With her encouragement, Penny shares words from her notebook from the pulpit that morning and feels confident sharing what God had given her. The artwork is vibrant and captures the scenery and the character emotions. A definite for Christian family bookshelves to offer support and encouragement to follow where God leads.

Penny loves church! She has words from God! She practices sharing them with her stuffed animals but when she shares with her friends, some say that girls can’t be preachers. Luckily, Penny’s parents are supportive (my favorite part of the book) and take her to a church with a woman preacher, who encourages Penny to use her voice. A great story to encourage kids that their gifts matter and to specifically encourage girls that they can and should use the gifts God has given them. As we say in BWIM, limiting women (and girls like Penny) limits God. Here’s a book to help emphasize that message.

Penny Preaches is a simple, wholesome book about a young girl fulfilling her calling of being a preacher. The art is colorful and bold with diverse characters. Penny is adorable and embodies the missionary spirit well. The message of women as preachers will not appeal to all, but to those who believe anyone can spread the Gospel will enjoy Penny's enthusiasm.

What an incredibly inspiring book. I cannot wait to share this one with my daughter who is filled with God’s love. I could see this being a book people buy for children’s dedications and baptisms. Such wholesome clever writing to keep kids engaged and beautiful illustrations to go alongside it.

I requested this book from NetGalley because it was clearly about a Christian child and I love checking out Christian picture books. And while the illustrations were beautiful and most of the story was a nice, enjoyable read, there are a couple of things I want to mention.

First, this book delves into a topic that can be quite divisive in the church: can women be senior pastors? Penny loves listening to her pastor preach and begins coming up with her own sermons and preaching to her friends. But then they start saying things like, "I thought only men could be pastors," which disheartens Penny... until the next Sunday when her parents take her to a church with a female pastor. I think, for the most part, whether you want to pick this book up or not, or whether you enjoy it or not, is mostly going to depend on which side you fall on in this debate.

Second, whether you believe, biblically speaking, that women can be pastors or not, this book kind of has a feeling of: if you have a gift from God but people aren't letting you use it in the way that you want to, then your gift is being repressed. I think it might have been better if Penny had asked her parents about this topic and done some digging to get to her answer instead of the book showing her upset and sad until her parents took her to a different church, or if she had seen that she can preach/teach in other ways; that being a senior pastor is potentially an option but not the only option (in order to stay in line with the author's message of the book).

Penny Preaches by Amy and Rob Dixon is a charming children's book exploring themes of faith, friendship, and the joy of sharing one's beliefs. Through the endearing character of Penny, young readers are invited to embark on a journey of self-discovery and spiritual exploration.

The narrative centers around Penny's passion for thinking about "big things" and her desire to share her thoughts with others. Inspired by the sermons she hears on Sundays, Penny preaches to her friends from her front porch. However, when her attempt doesn't go as planned, Penny begins to doubt herself and wonders if she is wrong to want to teach others about God.

Amy and Rob Dixon's storytelling is gentle and relatable, capturing the innocence and earnestness of childhood faith. Penny's journey of self-discovery and learning to navigate disappointment and doubt will resonate with young readers grappling with similar questions about their beliefs and desires to share them with others.

The illustrations by Jennifer Davison are delightful and whimsical, bringing Penny's world to life with vibrant colors and expressive characters. Each page is warm and charming, inviting readers to immerse themselves in Penny's adventures and reflections.

While Penny Preaches offers a heartwarming exploration of faith and friendship, some readers may find the book's message somewhat simplistic, and the resolution may feel overly tidy. Additionally, including a note from the authors to encourage further conversation about the topic is a thoughtful touch that enhances the book's educational value.

Overall, Penny Preaches is a sweet and uplifting story that celebrates the joy of sharing one's beliefs with others and the importance of embracing our unique gifts and passions. Whether read independently or shared aloud with adults, this book will spark meaningful conversations and inspire young readers to explore their faith journey.

Penny Preaches
By Amy Dixon and Rob Dixon

My family and I were captivated by every aspect of this book. Penny, a beacon of faith, shows other children that God can speak to them. Her eagerness to preach the word of God to her friends, even preparing a sermon with her stuffed animals, is endearing. When her initial attempt didn't go as expected, Penny's momentary discouragement was quickly replaced by a renewed sense of purpose. That night, God had more to share with her. During a visit to the new church, Penny's understanding is deepened by Pastor Sarah, who emphasizes the importance of sharing God's words with people.

Penny Preaches is a powerful testament to the resilience and faith that children can embody. The story beautifully illustrates that even when things don't go as planned, it doesn't mean God has abandoned you. The crucial message that if God calls upon us to spread his word, we should, is a lesson that resonates with readers of all ages.

This picture book has bright, colorful illustrations, and the story focuses on a little girl who enjoys listening to sermons at church, preaches to her stuffed animals and her friends, and then receives negative messages about how preachers should be male. The negative responses are all based in reflexive assumptions, and aren't backed up with arguments. Penny is discouraged, but her parents encourage her, and she receives more words from God. Her parents take her to a church with a female pastor, and Penny is excited to see a woman preaching. At the end, the pastor invites Penny up to the stage, where Penny shares her words from God.

Even though I know that this story represents a child's perspective, I don't like the plot point about preaching special words you've received directly from God. I believe that God can and does speak directly to people, but that is not the norm, and it is not the basis for Christian teaching or the Christian life. Regardless of the gender debate, I have a problem with this book portraying preaching as something that flows from individual spiritual revelation, rather than from studying and interpreting the Bible.

This book also doesn't engage with any biblical teaching about who should be a pastor. Of course, this is a book for children, so it's going to be simple and brief, but not even the author's note addresses this. The authors don't engage with the biblical basis for people's convictions against having female pastors, and they don't offer any alternative interpretations of the Bible passages that indicate male-only eldership. Instead, the book just teaches that "God gives good gifts to everyone."

That doesn't make an effective argument, and is beside the point. Of course God gives good gifts to everyone. That doesn't mean that those gifts have to be expressed in certain ways, or in certain contexts, for them to be valid and meaningful. Many women who believe that only men should be pastors are using their gifts by teaching Sunday school classes, leading Bible studies and discipleship groups, encouraging and mentoring others, working in overseas and domestic missions, writing books, teaching at conferences, making YouTube videos, evangelizing, counseling, and so on. Just because you're not preaching on Sunday morning doesn't mean that you're squandering your gifts or being prevented from using them. This also flows into the larger cultural issue of Christians emphasizing visible, public pastoral ministry over other ways that people use their talents and serve God in secular jobs and less prominent ministry roles.

This book will appeal to readers who believe that women should be in whole-congregation pastoral and preaching roles, and it provides a colorful, sweet, and encouraging message that will resonate with their beliefs. People who believe that the Bible only permits men to serve in pastoral and elder roles won't be interested in this book, especially since it only offers an emotional argument and doesn't offer any biblical basis for the authors' convictions. Also, I hope that parents who use this book with their children will encourage their kids to think big about all of the ways that men and woman can use their gifts, instead of leaving them with the idea that the only way to use teaching or ministry skills is to become a pastor.

This book is for all young girls who love attending church, coming home, and preaching to our stuffed animal congregations. I wish this book had existed when I was a little girl and had questions about women preaching. The illustrations and text are vibrant, and the main character, Penny, is relatable and will enthrall young and old readers alike. Women being preachers is taboo for certain believers, but this book addresses this theme in a straightforward yet realistic and kind, child-friendly manner. Another aspect I enjoyed about this book is its tone towards building a bright world that encourages attending church. It is refreshing and a great thing to see with BIPOC characters in children's literature. This book is a great discussion starter for families around this topic. I will recommend this book to young readers at my church! Thank you, NetGalley and InterVarsity Press, for the lovely digital arc!
Final Rating 5/5

Things we can learn from the book Penny Preaches by Amy & Rob Dixon:
1. Preaching is about telling stories
2. You can wear a tiny microphone
3. God gives you words to tell others
4. Anyone can preach
5. If you don't like what the Bible teaches, find a new church that will affirm your beliefs anyway

Unfortunately, none of these things are rooted in the Word of God. Scripture gives specific directions on WHO elders/pastors are and what their roles within the church are. Pastors preach from the Bible, not just random words they think God has given them. Elders and pastors do teach and sometimes use stories as examples but in no way is telling stories the primary Sunday morning activity.
There are many churches and we divide on differing interpretations of scripture WITHIN ORTHODOX positions. Infant baptism or believers baptism? We divide between Presbyterian and Baptist churches but neither are outside of orthodox teaching.

The illustrations are well done, however there's no rhythm to the writing in the book. It's choppy and harder to read.
This book is outside of orthodox teaching. Can women teach others what the scriptures say? Of course! But scripture is CLEAR on the requirements for elder/pastor.

*I received a dARC book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Can Not Agree with the Storyline

This is a beautifully illustrated book and I love that Penny enjoys church, however, I can not agree with a dream that goes against Biblical doctrine. I Timothy 3 lists church leader qualifications and states “the husband of one wife”. This clearly indicates that church leaders are men. I believe that girls can be many things, but are to teach women and children alone.

I would have really enjoyed this book if it continued with a storyline of Penny sharing with her toy audience and friends. Her heart was in the right place and the Lord does give us gifts to use for Him but there is still an order to creation as stated in Ephesians 5. I have used my gifts for years and have studied and taught the Word on many occasions but taking over a church as pastor will never be a goal I will teach to women.

I received this book from the author/publisher free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review.

A wonderful and inspiring story about a girl who feels like she is called to share the word of God. With encouraging parents and a pastor who shows her that anything is possible and to follow where her heart leads her she soon discovers that possibilities are endless. An encouraging story to all little girls who want to follow where their heart leads them. I love how the story shows her strong passion for sharing the word of God and how she sticks to what she feels is the right thing to do. The illustrations in this story are beautiful. I love that the important phrases that stuck with me and my children are illustrated and bold to see. Our favorite is LOVED CHOSEN BRAVE. I love the message that God gives gifts to everyone, we just need to seek to find them. A wonderful story to share as a family. I highly recommend and would give a thousand stars to this story.

It’s cute and illustrations are lovely. I think it’s dated. There are many many female preachers today. I sure hope folks don’t still feel that way.

Penny Preaches is a beautifully designed book with poor doctrine. Unfortunately no matter how big our dreams are or how much our hearts want to do something, when those things contradict Scripture they are sinful. Should young girls be encouraged to dream, yes. Should they be trained in theology? Yes. Should they be pastors? No. Why? - Because Scripture says they shouldn't.